Celtic's Flawed Victory: Baur's First Goal Secures Win
Mika Baur’s first Celtic goal was hardly a classic, but it kept a flawless title defence rolling and underlined why champions win even on muddled afternoons like this.
At McDiarmid Park, against a St Johnstone side unbeaten at home in the league, Celtic were nowhere near ruthless. They were, however, relentless enough. One sharp move, one low cross, one simple tap-in – and Martin O’Neill’s team walked away with a sixth straight Premiership win and a five-point cushion over Rangers.
O’Neill shuffles the pack, Johnstone stands tall
With a Europa League tie looming and an Old Firm double – cup and league – on the horizon, O’Neill gambled on rotation. Five changes came in, including a return from injury for Kasper Hogh and a start in goal for on-loan keeper Sam Johnstone.
The decision almost backfired before Celtic found any rhythm.
St Johnstone, energetic and direct, carved out the first big chance. Joel Cotterill, on his first start for the club, met Alic’s low cross from close range on 19 minutes and looked certain to score. Johnstone exploded off his line, flung up a strong hand and palmed the ball over. A huge save, and one that shaped the afternoon.
Celtic had their moments in a scrappy first half. Haissem Hassan drew an early stop from the Saints goalkeeper. Callum McGregor saw a shot deflected wide by Campbell. From the resulting corner, Steward punched clear under pressure.
But the better openings fell to the hosts. Diabate’s effort was hooked off the line by Donovan on 40 minutes. Moments later, Tounekti whipped in a superb cross and Diabate again threatened, heading past the post. Celtic looked vulnerable, short of control, and second best in the key duels.
By the interval, O’Neill’s side had possession, but St Johnstone had the clearer chances. The champions were hanging in.
Baur breaks through, Hassan denied by a tight call
The pattern did not immediately improve after the restart. McAlear drove past McGregor on 47 minutes and slipped in Steven, whose low strike went straight at Johnstone. Another warning, another reminder that Celtic were one mistake away from chasing the game.
Then the pressure finally told – at the other end.
On 52 minutes, Hassan found space wide and drilled a low ball across the face of goal. Baur timed his run perfectly and slid in from close range. His first Celtic goal, a simple finish, but a precious one. He really could not miss.
The goal did little to settle the contest. St Johnstone stayed aggressive, and Celtic’s second remained elusive.
Hassan thought he had his own moment on 66 minutes. Hogh headed the ball back across goal, the Egypt international crashed it in, and Celtic celebrated – briefly. The assistant ruled the ball had gone out of play before Hogh’s header, and the strike was chalked off.
Replays offered no definitive proof either way. Sky Sports’ James McFadden summed up the VAR reality: without clear evidence, the on-field call had to stand.
“We can say we think the ball stays in all we like. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “There’s no way that you can say the assistant is wrong… there is not a chance that would have been overturned.”
Denied a cushion, Celtic had to grind.
Hogh laid one off for Hassan on 71 minutes, his curling effort pushed wide by Steward. James Forrest, twisting and turning on the edge of the box, forced another sharp save on 77 minutes. Nygren then teed up Hogh, only for Steward to turn his shot behind. From a Forrest cross, Nygren again tested the keeper, but it went straight into his arms.
St Johnstone were not finished either. Alic dragged an effort inches past the post on 80 minutes, the kind of chance that can flip a tight game. The home crowd sensed a late twist. Celtic, though, refused to yield.
Champions’ edge, lingering frustration
When the final whistle went, it was job done rather than a statement win. Thirteen victories in a row, stretching back to the end of last season. Six from six in this campaign. Five points clear at the top. On paper, it looks ruthless.
O’Neill’s verdict was more conflicted.
“I’m not even sure what to make of the game,” he told Sky Sports. “I think we made goalscoring, which is very difficult, almost impossible.
“We could have scored a number of goals, we didn’t do. It was just kind of crazy, really.
“I thought that somebody would just take responsibility, put it in the net and pass, pass, pass.
“Anyway, we’ve won the game, which I’m delighted with. It was the most important thing.”
He did not forget the other end either.
“I have to remember that Sam Johnstone’s made a really great save in the first half. Otherwise, they would have taken the lead.”
Valakari left to rue missed chances
For Simo Valakari, the mood was very different. His St Johnstone side went toe-to-toe with the champions, created enough to take something, and left with nothing.
“We definitely had our moments, but at the same time we knew the threat of Celtic,” he said. “The question, can we survive these moments? And when we get our own chance, can we take it? And we did not take it today.
“We know ourselves we can play. We can hurt teams.
“But then at the same time, you need to take these chances that we created because against this quality team, you don’t get that many.
“We created enough to score a goal and that’s the kind of disappointment of this evening.”
McDiarmid Park will not be an easy stop for anyone this season. St Johnstone’s unbeaten home run is gone, but the performance will give them belief that they belong at this level.
Celtic, meanwhile, leave Perth with three points, a new goalscorer in Baur, a goalkeeper who delivered when it mattered, and a manager still demanding more. With a Europa League tie and an Old Firm double on the way, the table looks healthy.
The question now is whether this grinding edge can carry them through the storm that’s coming.
